Mattymatt

Same here. You've set up a good expectation of the process. Better to expect it to be hell and pleasantly surprised if it is not.

March 12th at 0 Dark 30.

No, right now I hurt so badly from being overweight that exercising isn't really an option. I've changed my eating habits enough to get my blood glucose (A1C) to safe levels for surgery. In a week, I begin my pre-op diet which I know will be difficult because I will have to contend daily with low blood sugar while my diabetic meds get tweaked. There really isn't much that I can do to make things easier at the moment. I will just grin and bear it.

Taking the first step and making an appointment does not commit you to the process. If later on down the line you feel that surgery isn't a good option, you can always back out. I am still pre-op for another three weeks and I'm convinced that this is one of the best decisions that I have ever made. The important thing is that you don't go into this thinking it is the magical fix and a good program will emphasize that this procedure is not a magic bullet. I could go into a laundry list of things that I wished I had done prior to considering surgery and going down this road. But, I am not going to because there is no sense dwelling in the past. At some point I had to take a long hard look and say what I did in the past hadn't worked so why the hell am I going to go through that again? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is madness. I am 40 years old and my genetic healthy life expectancy is about 85 years so if I want to live a better life, I'd best not keep trying what hasn't worked.

Those words are vile and they really show the bias that the medical community has against people that are overweight. It seems like people who are overweight still face the largest stigma out of every disease in the books. Not even people whom are HIV+ or mentally ill experience as much stigma. One would think that the medical community is becoming more learned but there is still a prevalent attitude that if people are overweight, it is their own fault. Even people that practice in the very area of weight management itself, still look on their patience with some disgust - this was the reason why I changed hospital programs, potentially costing me more time. That much said, I won't let a silly label be a reason, albeit even a small one, for me to lose weight. I don't want to give the powers that be the satisfaction. The reason I am going down this surgery path is so that I don't die early and painfully. Sleep Apnea, Diabetes, and High Blood Pressure are seriously no laughing matter. I don't want a toe or foot amputated because my blood sugars are in the danger zone. The psychologists all advised that I find another reason, other than health to lose weight but I just don't care right now because I feel like the floor of a taxi cab. I know that once a significant amount of weight comes off, I will feel better.

@Talkdoc55 Thank you for sharing your experience. Were you able to regain any of the lost muscle mass?

I am puzzled by the question because why would anyone really like being fat? It is abject misery - every day is a social, physical, and mental challenge. I can't wait for this problem to be over and done with.

I was in exactly this situation that you were talking about. Each program is slightly different with varying requirements. I got some credit for the past accomplishments with the hospital system that I transferred into but the new program had even more requirements than the old one. I was a bit disheartened at first but I realized that the additional tests and screening were to really give me the best hope for a safe surgery. I chose to cut ties with my first program because the staff just had horrible bedside manner and wanted to get in there and out quickly. I was concerned that if I had complications after surgery, would they behave dismissively to me? I am not a whiner or complainer per se, but if they're treating me terribly insensitively now, what happens when I truly need their guidance? Why do you want to cut ties? If the reason is finding a faster route, it isn't worth it. If the reason is that you have reservations about the quality of care, then it is worth consideration.

Yes, the process does feel like an eternity. I remember when I got my surgical clearance and a surgery date I finally felt like the end is in sight. But remember that the challenge comes when you do the *very* restrictive two week, pre-op diet. I start mine on February 26th for a surgery date of March 12th. Those two weeks will be the challenge.

I've been on a liquid diet once before. It takes 4 to 5 days before you feel less crappy. But, one day you will wake up with hunger gone and actually feeling energetic. To keep staying on task, tell yourself that this is ultimately to make you safer for surgery. This is the reason that you're doing it. Tell yourself that if you cheat, you risk surgery complications or even having your surgery cancelled altogether. You worked way too hard to get this far. Just look at things hour to hour. Don't look beyond the next hour. This is a time tested technique and it's what allows Navy SEALs and Army Rangers to get through some of the most physically and mentally brutal training imaginable. It's about wanting it and keeping your mind in the present.

I am sorry to hear that you're being treated so poorly at work but you're not alone. Since childhood, I have always wanted to work for a freight railroad as a conductor and eventually a locomotive engineer but was pretty much always overweight. Of course, in my present state I cannot do this but once the leaner and meaner me shines through, the door will be wide open. I hate my present job as a security guard. I look like the stupid, obese guard out of a movie with an ill-fitting uniform and no one takes me seriously. People snicker and I grow weary of it. It's time for me to do something that I want to do. I overheard one person say, "It's the dumbass, fat guard." I said, "Excuse me? I heard exactly what you said and if you don't apologize immediately I am going to report it as workplace harrassment." I got madder than a wet hornet.

I'm March 12th but RNY. Does that still count? Stupid diabetes pretty much dictated the course of action.

It sounds like you were smart about it. Alcohol effects different people in different ways, just like there is a minority of people that don't get dumping syndrome as a result of RNY.

This is the way to go about it! You have to always keep the voice in your head that you want to continue to progress stronger, than the voice that's telling you to eat. This is what has helped me in the past to lose weight. I was (obviously) not very good at the maintenance phase.

If you're overweight, though, it does increase difficulty.

I wouldn't do it. Why obsess over 10-20 pounds if you are otherwise healthy? Did you take measurements along the way?

If I remember correctly from diabetes education classes that you want at least 50% of your weekly numbers to be in target, which for a T2 diabetic, is 77 - 140. I am a new diabetic having just past the 1 year mark on Jan. 15th of this year. I am also still pre-op so I don't really know what to expect post-surgery. You may want to get in touch with your endocrinologist because they might recommend a low dose of an oral medication for a little while until your body adjusts to the new you.

But you've been honest with yourself. This will help the dietitian help you. The more data they have to go on, the more they can do to make suggestions and offer tips and ideas.

At long last I am finally understanding what head hunger is. Since last December, I have been taking Victoza in an effort to get my blood sugar under control. Victoza is a physical appetite killer but I still have this drive to eat. Thankfully, my blood sugar is under control and my A1C is 6.7%, safe enough for surgery in March. But man, I feel like I could reach for something to eat despite not being hungry. It's not a pleasant feeling ....

It's not weird at all. I get that way myself sometimes and your explanation of it is a lot better than what I could come up with.

I will be getting gastric bypass surgery next month on February 8th. Right now, I am in pretty bad shape and can only really walk for short amounts of time. If I try to do too much, I am left limping from back, knee, hip, and ankle pain. I have a high tolerance for the pain but it is like an 8/10. I understand the importance of physical activity, especially post-surgery. What's the best way to get started? How often did you exercise, post-op? What kinds of small goals did you set for yourself?

Well, I cannot afford the gym membership now that I am back on the unemployment line. You know what, right now I don't care that much. I am just going to keep consistent until I get through surgery. Not looking to make too many changes right now.

Dating isn't easy for an NT person, let alone you and I. My heart has been played with now too much. I want to get to goal weigh and stay there for a while until I have found my "new" normal and rhythm. Then I might dip my toe in the water again.

Hey I'm a March 12th as well!

Is it possible that now that you're healthy, you're just less apt to put up with what you once would? Now you kinda know what you want and you aren't willing to settle?